St. Rose of Lima

Feast Day: August 23

Isabella Flores, commonly known as Rose, was born in Lima, Peru in 1586, and became the first canonized saint of the Western Hemisphere.

She made a vow of virginity at an early age and only with great difficulty overcame the objections and misunderstanding of her family to her way of life. At the age of twenty she became a Dominican tertiary and lived in a hermitage which she had set up in her family’s garden.

She practiced severe penances for the salvation of sinners and for the missionary efforts of the Church in the Indies. Her great love for Christ manifested itself by her care of and concern for the poor and sick.

She had a special devotion to Christ in the Eucharist and to Mary, the Mother of God. Her desire to teach others the secret of prayer made her a zealous promoter of the rosary.

She died at Lima on August 24, 1617.